If you’re wondering who speaks at a wedding, consider four people. We will also discuss the order of wedding speeches and tips on introducing the wedding speakers.
It’s always sentimental to talk about the people starting a marriage. And if you’re asked to give a toast, you can also refer to how to write a wedding toast.
Who Usually Makes A Speech At A Wedding?
Groom and bridal parents
Traditionally, the parents of the bride and groom will speak at the wedding. In addition, the bride’s parents are usually the wedding sponsors, which means it’s possible to expect them to welcome the wedding guests.
The groom’s parents can also make a speech. But if only one parent of the bride or groom wants to talk, it’s acceptable to have them the only one doing speeches.
What if one parent is deceased or not present? The bride or groom’s family may replace the parent with another close family member to do the speech.
They may also pay tribute to those who passed away. We recommend reading about how to include a deceased parent in a wedding.
The wedding maid of honor
While only the best man and the parents of the bride and groom are often the ones giving wedding speeches, nowadays, it’s also common for the maid of honor to speak at the wedding. She can also represent the best man if he does not want to give a speech.
But of course, note that the maid of honor is not obligated to give a wedding speech if she does not want to. Also, understand that some of our friends and relatives are not fans of public speaking.
In this case, a bridesmaid can represent the maid of honor instead. The same applies to a groomsman who will act as the best man’s proxy if he can’t give a wedding speech.
The wedding best man
It’s customary for the best man to give a wedding speech. Compared to the more serious tone of the bride and groom’s parents, the best man is often the most humorous speaker.
If you know your friend has the knack for entertaining people, you can consider asking him to give a speech. However, if you’re the best man asked for this role, please maintain tact when giving an address, and avoid potentially embarrassing stories, especially if it might make the groom uncomfortable.
Groom and bride speech
Sometimes, the bride and groom will also give a speech to thank their guests. This is also often practiced when there is no wedding receiving line.
Another difference is that the wedding speech of the couple is shorter than the speeches of the other wedding speakers. However, it’s not a definite rule to follow, and you can always give a speech as long as you think it needs to be to cover all the subjects you want to mention.
Who Does The Welcome Speech At A Wedding?
The welcome speech or message at the wedding is often given by whoever sponsored or hosted the event. Traditionally, the bride’s parents are the wedding hosts, so they’ll speak first and welcome everyone who attended.
The bride’s father can also be the only one who’ll give the welcome speech. First, he will introduce himself and thank everyone for coming to the wedding.
The welcome speech can also lead to a toast to wish the couple a happy marriage. And of course, note that the welcome speech can be told by whoever hosted the wedding, and not limited to just the bride’s parents.
What Is The Order Of Speeches At A Wedding?
There are no rules regarding who speaks first at a wedding because every event is different. However, if you want to go the traditional way, the bride’s father starts first in the wedding speeches because he does the welcome speech.
Then, the next person to speak is the groom, followed by his best man. Nowadays, the maid of honor, bride, and groom’s parent/s can also give a wedding speech.
Whoever is last typically will start the wedding toast for the couple. But regardless, anyone close to the couple who wants to share their sentiments and best wishes can give a wedding speech.
How Do You Announce Wedding Speeches?
The wedding MC is the one who announces the wedding speeches. Therefore, it’s essential that you know the order of the speeches and who will each speak at the wedding.
If needed, ask around the proper pronunciations of the speakers’ names. It would be best if you also spoke loud but respectfully when requesting all the guests’ attention.
Give a quick introduction per speaker, and don’t forget to thank that person before going to the next speaker. And once all the speeches are done, the final speaker or the MC will toast the couple.
Are Speeches Necessary At A Wedding?
The wedding program can be as short, quick, and simple as you want, so you can omit speeches if you prefer to. However, you’d surely appreciate the sentiments and wishes for you and your partner, and the wedding speeches are also for thanking the guests.
Conclusion
And that’s it! To recap who speaks at a wedding, they are the couple’s parents, best man, maid of honor, and the newlyweds.
It’s also possible for only the bride’s father, best man, and groom to speak at the wedding. Regardless, feel free to include anyone who wants to give a wedding speech and guide your MC in introducing them.